Greece:
Consisting of a mountainous mainland and about 2,000 islands, Greece has been a popular destination for tourists for a long time. Greek islands and beaches are definitely beautiful, and there is a wide variety of styles for different types of travellers--from exclusive resorts for rich people to small islands mainly visited by low-budget backpackers. Because Greece still has a lower standard of living than most other European countries, prices there are cheaper than elsewhere.
Some islands are brown and dry (Ios), and others are greener (Korfu), and some have black sand beaches (Santorini), and then there's Crete, which is of major historical importance. The entire country of Greece is full of ancient ruins and sites, such as the famous Acropolis in Athens and the Roman ruins at Dodona. Some parts of the country, away from touristic locations, belong to another period of time, as people still get around by donkey, and life is much slower. Athens is a huge, densely populated, polluted city. The port of Piraeus is easy to get to by subway, and once there you can book passage on a boat to the island of your choice. Greek food, such as moussaka, is delicious, and you can usually get big servings. Stick to Greek food or you might be disappointed. Also, watch out for the sun; on the islands it's very bright and direct, and fair-skinned northerners have been known to get completely burnt their first day on the beach. Nightlife on all the islands is great, if that's what you're interested in. Otherwise, you can stay in a quiet guesthouse and watch the sunsets. Note that tourists tend to take off all their clothes on a lot of Greek beaches. Greek society is, however, rather conservative.
Books: Dinner with Persephone, by Patricia Storace
This page last updated December 29, 1999.